AFL aims for indigenous all-stars trip to Ireland

Chief Football Writer for The Age

Steven Verrier of the Tigers is tackled during the exhibition match between the Richmond Tigers and the Indigenous All-Stars at Traeger Park in Alice Springs earlier this year. The game was not televised. Photo: Getty Images

Andrew Demetriou's radical plan to take an indigenous all-stars team to Ireland now seems certain with cautious support from clubs and the cream of indigenous talent pledging to take part.

Demetriou put the bold proposal to his Irish football counterpart last week, having received pledges from indigenous stars Adam Goodes and Lance Franklin to tour with the revamped International Rules team to Ireland in October.

It is understood that Gaelic Athletic Association chiefs - after initially warming to the idea - have been debating the new concept and were due to respond in coming days.

The AFL had hoped to announce the tour on the eve of Saturday's Dreamtime game, but was awaiting the GAA response.

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Demetriou has held two meetings at AFL headquarters with senior indigenous players with the most recent talks a fortnight ago. Aaron Davey, Patrick Ryder, Shaun Burgoyne, Lindsay Thomas and Nathan Lovett-Murray were among those present while players from every AFL state including Goodes and Jarrod Harbrow took part via a telephone hook-up.

AFL chiefs had already secured support from Franklin and teammate Cyril Rioli with Michael O'Loughlin almost certain to be appointed senior coach. Under the league's preferred scenario, Rodney Eade, who coached the last International Rules team, would also tour with the All-Stars. While the AFL Players' Association has not yet been consulted that body appears to harbour no significant objections.

The proposal, which has provoked some strong criticism, looks certain to have its detractors objecting to the discriminatory nature of the race-based selection. Not since the Aboriginal cricket team left Australia's shores to tour England in 1868 has a senior indigenous representative team been selected to play for Australia.

The move has come as not only the all-stars concept but also the International Rules series struggled to hold momentum. At last week's meeting of the AFL club chiefs, Sydney boss Andrew Ireland reportedly reminded the clubs that the indigenous all-stars had become something of a poor relation by comparison with its NRL version.

Although the AFL started the indigenous all-stars concept, the game this year was not televised and played in Alice Springs against Richmond after being cancelled in 2012 due to dangerous weather. The corresponding NRL version saw an indigenous team play a representative NRL all-stars side at a soldout Gold Coast Stadium and televised live.

The AFL fears that the all-stars concept could die out just as state of origin has while thriving in the NRL and proving a major part of that code's broadcast deal.

Similarly the International Rules has also struggled for support from players and clubs.

The AFL all-stars game had been constricted also because it fell under the league's contract with the Northern Territory government, a deal that now has been completed.

So concerned has the AFL been at the low indigenous numbers in both the VFL and the TAC competition that it has moved to field an indigenous under-18 side - the Laguntas - to play three invitational games in the TAC competition starting next month.

The long-term view is that the two International Rules Tests in October could prove a precursor to a tri-series to be held in Australia in 2015 involving indigenous, Gaelic and AFL all-stars sides. Alternatively, the two Australian representative teams could play off for the right to take on the Irish.

The subject of both documentaries and historic literary offerings, the 1868 touring cricket team was so popular it was scheduled to play 10 games but ultimately played 99 matches in 15 countries, spending 129 days away from home.

17 comments so far

Change Indigenous to Non Indigenous. How is this not racist ?

Commenter

black and white

Date and time

May 22, 2013, 8:27AM

Matt Rendell is selector

Commenter

Gaz

Location

Yarrawonga

Date and time

May 22, 2013, 9:09AM

"Non indigenous" excludes one particular group based on race. "Indigenous" is simply picking a football side from a particular group, and doesn't exclude a specific group based on race. I cannot believe this requires an explanation.

Commenter

Mick

Location

Mornington

Date and time

May 22, 2013, 10:00AM

@Mick

Ok then, how about a "white" team - that is also simply picking a football side from a particular group, and not excluding per se.

Commenter

Roger

Location

Canberra

Date and time

May 22, 2013, 10:39AM

I thought such a form of discrimination was illegal in this country. Oh wait I forgot that the laws only apply one way!

Commenter

Dan

Location

One country

Date and time

May 22, 2013, 2:50PM

Representive teams based on race?

Commenter

gman_au

Location

Melbourne

Date and time

May 22, 2013, 9:01AM

This would seem to be racism at its highest order.

Commenter

pepper

Date and time

May 22, 2013, 9:41AM

After seeing the passion with which they played in the practice match against Richmond I can do nothing but be in overwhelming support of this. The Irish series has struggled to attract the games stars, and the ones who do play seem somewhat disinterested. When the indigenous boys play on behalf of their people they are a near unstoppable force.

Commenter

Mick

Location

Mornington

Date and time

May 22, 2013, 9:55AM

An adventureous approach. But, how about and even more adventurous approach. Pick a representative team based on the abilities of the players and not their race.Totally off the wall ? However, you would find that the team would include people of a number of ethnic backgrounds that truely reflects the make up of the Australian community. I think the chemists have invaded the inner sanctum of the AFL - they must be taking something exotic to come up with this.

Commenter

Nicko

Location

Greenfields

Date and time

May 22, 2013, 10:48AM

Ahh, race-pride - what a way to stir interest in a game! Who cares that wherever racial-pride is encouraged the result is less social-cohesion? A new apartheid, courtesy of the AFL.